Arts and Entertainment

Charlie Murphy, Eddie’s older brother, has carved a niche as one of the best comedians in the business. He’ll perform May 23-26 at the Comedy Zone at N.C. Music Factory.

“You’ve got to work real hard,” says Charlie Murphy in a promotional video for his current tour “Charlie Murphy’s Acid Trip.”

“What else do we have to do, huh,” he asks from the green room before taking the stage in Chicago. “You alive, right? Grind. Grind. I’m the product of the grind, baby.”

And that he is. Murphy has been grinding for more than two decades to parlay a famous last name and role on “Chappelle’s Show” into a career as a top-billing international comedian.

Murphy, who will be performing at Charlotte’s Comedy Zone May 23-26, has spent the past eight years performing his critically acclaimed stand-up show and solidifying his position in Hollywood as a true acting, writing and producing talent in his own right. He’s worked with top Hollywood talent such as Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Terrance Howard, Gabrielle Union, Queen Latifah, Vanessa Williams, Angela Bassett, Wesley Snipes and Jamie Foxx.

He’s headlined sold-out shows around the world and performed as part of various critically acclaimed tours with fellow comics Joe Rogan, John Heffron, Mike Epps and former fellow Chappelle cast members Bill Burr and Donnell Rawlings.

His headlining tour “I Will Not Apologize” was released on DVD and premiered on Comedy Central in the No. 1 slot.

As for writing credits, Murphy’s autobiography, “The Making of a Stand Up Guy,” was published by Simon and Schuster. He has also written several screenplays, including “Norbit,” which starred his baby brother, Eddie Murphy, and opened No. 1 at the box office.

His current tour will also be released on DVD.

Like many comedians, Murphy’s life has not always been a laughing matter. As an adolescent, he went by the nickname “Omar” and ran with a street gang until he ended up behind bars. After spending 10 months in jail, he joined the Navy, around the time that brother Eddie began making a name for himself as a comedian and actor. After leaving the military, Murphy began doing security detail for his younger brother before his notorious hot head got him fired.

In 2009, Murphy lost his wife of 12 years and mother of two of his three children to cancer.

He got perhaps the biggest break of his career with a three-year stint on “Chappelle’s Show,” where he was able to capitalize on his comedic genius, most notably with “Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories” skits in which he recounted running with Eddie Murphy, Rick James and losing in basketball to Prince.